Improved sail-clutch



UNiTnn STATES n. A. sAwYER., on PORTLAND, MAINE.

IMPROVED SAIL-CLUTCH.

Spccilication forming part of Letters Patent No. 48,103, dated June 6, 1865.

To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, E. A. SAWYER, of Iort land, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine, have invented a new Sail-Clutch;.

and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, niakinga part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing the new mode of securing a sail to its mast hoops or hanks. Fig. 2 is a top view of the clutch. Fig. 3 is an edge view of the clutch, and Fig. et is a horizontal section through the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate correponding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to a new inode of attaching sails to mast-hoops, so that a very se cure and rigid fastening may be made which will admit of the hoops or "hanks7 being readily attach ed to or detached from the sails at pleasure. By the old mode of bending sails the hoops or hanks are attached to the sail by means of spun-yarn passed around, lapped, and riveted.y or notched and crossed hoops or hanks, and then inserted through eyes which are made in the sail near its bending or bolt rope; but this mode of attachment is very impermanent, and thel spun-yarn seizin soon wears out by chaing, and requires renewal, usually, two or three times ayear. After this seizin has been used a short time it becomes slack and allows the hoops or hanks to sag down and catch on the mast or stay, so as to impedethe hoisting and lowering of the sail.

To enable others skilled in the art to under stand my invention, I will describe its contruetion and operation.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents one of the mast-hoops, and B a portion of a sail which is attachedto this hoop. This hoop is constructed in the usual manner, with the exception that its ends are not reduced, nor are they connected together. On each end of the hoop is secureda ferrule, a, which is constructed with a concave end, b, adapted to re- Vthe other hole. 4 rules for receiving screws by which the ferceive any size of rope, and also with a lip, c, through which a hole, d, is made to receive a. male screw, d, having a thumb-button on its end. alike, with the exception that one of the holes d has a thread cut in it to receive the threads of the screw. This screw passes loosely through I also form ears on the fer rules are secured permanently to the hoops. Vhen two such ferrules are brought together about a rope, their concave surfaces will embrace it, and by the use of the screw d the two ferrules are made to clutch or clamp the rope very rmly. The sail B is attached to its bolt-rope g in the usual manner, and this sail is also provided with metal eyes; or, simply holes maybe made through it in the usual manner, and through these holes or eyes the screws d of' the clutch pass, and the lips c of the ferrules also form clamps and bind on the sail aswell as on the sail bolt-rope when the screw is set up tightly. By means of this screw-fastening for the ferrules they may be adjusted for any-sized rope and hold the hoop or hank firmly in its place, so that it will not cant on the mast or stay. The strain of the sail will all come on the bolt-'rope by my invention, instead of on the grommets, as by the old inode.

In bending the sail which has myinvention applied to it, it is only necessary Vto loosen and remove the screwbolts of the `clutches and spring the hoop open to receive the boltrope. Then the screw bolts are replaced and set up tight, and the sail is secure.

By my invention I not only dispense with the necessity of lashing the hoops or hanks to the sail, and all the inconveniences attending this mode of attachment, but I can so construct those portions of the ferrules which come in contact with the bolt-ropethat they will protect the rope and also stiften the hoops which are attached to it.

Itis obvious that the details of construction and form of my invention may be somewhat Inodiied without changing its character Y or plan 'of operation.

The ferrules are both constructedA The invention is applicable to all kinds of sails that hoist and lower on mast orstay, and clasp, eonstr'u'eted substantially as described. all kinds of hoops and hunks. 3. The two-part clasp, constructed substan- `Whztt I @latini as new7 an d desire to secure by r tial Letters Patent, isl described.

1. Providing on each end of a. sail lia-nl; or E. A. SAVYER. hoop zt ferrnle, which is constructed substanl Witnesses: tially as described. STEPHEN R. lI-IURsToN,

2. Looking the loop or haul: and clusping NVILLIAM 1H. CLIFFORD,l

the rope and the sail by means of zt clutch or ly in the manner and for the purpose 

